Comments Off on Flood frequency of the Amazon River has increased fivefold

New data suggest that flooding in the Amazon River has dramatically increased by as much as five times in both intensity and frequency in the last 100 years. Scientists analyzed data points from the past century and believe the increase in flooding is linked to global warming. Scientists have measured the river’s water levels for 113 years at the Port of Manaus in Brazil . Over time, they found that large flooding events and extreme droughts have gone up over the past 20 to 30 years. In the early part of the century, massive floods only happened about once in every 20-year period. That number has increased to one major flood every four years. Related: High tide coastal flooding in US has doubled in the past 30 years The researchers believe the uptick is related to an oceanic system called Walker circulation, which describes air currents created by temperature fluctuations and pressure changes in the ocean , specifically in tropical locations. The Pacific Ocean has been cooling while the Atlantic Ocean has been getting warmer, which creates these circulating air currents. These changes are affecting the surrounding environment, including precipitation in the Amazon basin. Scientists are not sure why the Atlantic Ocean has been warming up. They do, however, believe that global warming is contributing to the temperature changes, but in a more indirect way. They theorize that global warming has shifted wind belts farther south, which pushes warm water from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. This creates an opposite effect of El Niño and results in more rainfall in the Amazon. Flooding along the Amazon River lasts weeks on end. Not only does it spread disease and contaminate water supplies, but it also destroys farms and homes. Right now, there is no indication that the flooding will decrease. This past year, water levels rose above the flood range, and scientists believe the water levels will only get higher as the years progress. Via EurekAlert! Images via Dave Lonsdale and NASA

Comments Off on MIT’s thermal resonator generates power "out of what seems like nothing"

A brand new power-generating system from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers creates energy “out of what seems like nothing,” according to chemical engineering professor Michael Strano in a statement . Their system, which they’re calling a thermal resonator, harnesses daily swings in ambient temperature , potentially enabling remote sensing systems to operate for years — no batteries or other power sources required. Nine MIT scientists from the chemical engineering department envisioned a new way to transform temperature changes into electric power. Their system doesn’t need two different temperature inputs simultaneously; it simply draws on fluctuations in the temperature of the air. Strano said, “We basically invented this concept out of whole cloth. We’ve built the first thermal resonator. It’s something that can sit on a desk and generate energy out of what seems like nothing. We are surrounded by temperature fluctuations of all different frequencies all of the time. These are an untapped source of energy.” Related: MIT battery that inhales and exhales air can store power for months MIT said the power levels the thermal resonator can generate are modest at this point, but the system’s advantage is that it isn’t affected at all by short-term changes in environmental conditions, and doesn’t require direct sunlight. It could generate energy in oft-unused spaces like underneath solar panels . The researchers say their thermal resonator could even help solar panels be more efficient as it could draw away waste heat . The thermal resonator was tested in ambient air, but MIT said if the researchers tuned the properties of the material used, the system could harvest other temperature cycles, such as those of machinery in industrial facilities or even the on and off cycling of refrigerator motors. The scientists created what MIT described as a “carefully tailored combination of materials” for their work, including metal foam, graphene , and the phase-change material octadecane. MIT said, “A sample of the material made to test the concept showed that, simply in response to a 10-degree-Celsius temperature difference between night and day, the tiny sample of material produced 350 millivolts of potential and 1.2 milliwatts of power — enough to power simple, small environmental sensors or communications systems.” The journal Nature Communications published the work online in February. + MIT News + Nature Communications Images via Melanie Gonick and Justin Raymond

Comments Off on Antarctica just hit a record high temperature of 63.5F

Climate change is already ravaging the Antarctic Peninsula, which the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) described as one of the fastest warming regions on Earth. In a recent statement, the organization announced the area has witnessed record high temperatures. The Argentine Research Base Esperanza, which rests on the Antarctic Peninsula’s northern tip, hit 63.5 degrees Fahrenheit on March 24, 2015. WMO identified three subregions in Antarctica, and listed the high temperature record for each. The Antarctic Region, or all the land under the 60th parallel south, saw a balmy temperature of 67.6 degrees Fahrenheit back in January 1982. It’s the Antarctic continent, or “the main continental landmass and adjoining islands” as defined by WMO that saw the recent hot temperature of 63.5 degrees. The Antarctic Plateau, which is land higher than 8,202 feet, saw a record temperature of 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit in December 1980. Related: Scientists warn rapidly-melting glacier in West Antarctica could cause serious global havoc WMO said the average annual temperature is around 14 degrees Fahrenheit along the coast of Antarctica, and negative 76 degrees Fahrenheit at the interior’s highest regions. But parts of Antarctica have already heated up nearly three degrees Celsius, or 37.4 degrees Fahrenheit, in just the past 50 years. According to the organization, “Some 87 percent of glaciers along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula have retreated in the last 50 years with most of these showing an accelerated retreat in the last 12 years.” Around 90 percent of the planet’s fresh water is in Antarctica, frozen as ice. Should all that ice melt, sea levels would spike by around 200 feet, so even extremes around the edges of the region concern scientists. The recently released data highlights the dire need for continued climate change research . Polar expert Michael Sparrow, of the World Climate Research Program co-sponsored by WMO, said in the statement, “The Antarctic and the Arctic are poorly covered in terms of weather observations and forecasts, even though both play an important role in driving climate and ocean patterns and in sea level rise. Verification of maximum and minimum temperatures help us to build up a picture of the weather and climate in one of Earth’s final frontiers.” Via Reuters Images via Wikimedia Commons ( 1 , 2 )

Comments Off on New super-thin film acts like "air conditioner" for buildings

Engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a thin, artificially structured “metamaterial” that can cool objects without the use of water or energy. The film works to lower the temperature of the surface beneath it through a process known as “passive cooling,” meaning that it vents the object’s heat through thermal radiation while bouncing off any incoming solar energy that may negate those losses. As described last week in the journal Science , the glass-polymer hybrid material could provide an “eco-friendly means of supplementary cooling” for thermoelectric power plants, which require colossal amounts of water and electricity to keep their machinery chugging along at optimum temperatures. The film measures a lithe 50 micrometers thick, or just slightly more substantial than the aluminum foil you’d find in your kitchen. And, much like foil, researchers say it can be easily and economically manufactured by the roll for large-scale residential and commercial applications. “We feel that this low-cost manufacturing process will be transformative for real-world applications of this radiative cooling technology,” Xiaobo Yin, an assistant professor who co-directed the research, said in a statement. Buildings and power plants aren’t the only structures that could benefit, Yin said. The material could keep solar panels from overheating, allowing them to not only work longer, but harder, as well. Related: 3D-printed “Cool Brick” cools a room using only water “Just by applying this material to the surface of a solar panel, we can cool the panel and recover an additional one to two percent of solar efficiency,” said Yin. “That makes a big difference at scale.” Yin and his cohorts have applied for a patent as a prelude to exploring potential commercial applications. They also plan to create a 200-square-meter “cooling farm” prototype in Boulder sometime this year. “The key advantage of this technology is that it works 24/7 with no electricity or water usage,” said Ronggui Yang, a professor of mechanical engineering and a co-author of the paper. “We’re excited about the opportunity to explore potential uses in the power industry, aerospace, agriculture and more.” + University of Colorado Boulder Photo by Chris Eason

Comments Off on Heat stress from climate change may cost global economies $2 trillion by 2030

Research reveals yet another loss we can anticipate at the hands of climate change: global productivity . Heat stress in lower income countries has already shortened work days, which could result in a net loss of $2 trillion across all global economies by the year 2030. The sad irony is that the countries contributing the least to global warming will end up hurting the most. A recent study published in Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health is one of six detailing the economic devastation coming our way on the heels of rising temperatures. Bloomberg reports that Southeast Asian countries’ work hours have been slashed 15 to 20 percent because of extreme heat, a figure which could double in the next 30 years or so. Tord Kjellstrom, director at the New Zealand-based Health and Environment International Trust , explains, “With heat stress, you cannot keep up the same intensity of work, and we’ll see reduced speed of work and more rest in labor-intensive industries.” Related: 7 clues climate change is here to stay First world countries, who contribute far more to our dire climate situation, can afford to adapt to the productivity challenges. For instance, factories can invest in alternative means of cooling their machinery and bigger companies can afford to shift around workers’ schedules. Lower income countries will be the first to experience the growing economic burden, due to low-skill, low-paying, and labor intensive jobs being affected more severely by heat stress. Up to 43 countries, including China, Indonesia, and Malaysia, could take an economic hit by 2030. Anthony Capon, a professor at the UN University , says it best when he explains, “As it is, high income countries have more capacity to insulate their people from health impacts of climate change. People in the poorer countries are the most effected [sic].” Via Bloomberg Images via Pexels , Bloomberg , Flickr

Comments Off on Luxurious net-zero Stanford home features an earthquake-resistant steel frame

The key to Professor Jacobson’s new net-zero home is BONE Structure’s innovative and lightweight steel frame system laser cut in a factory and delivered for on-site assembly. “The steel frame system allows for exciting design features that would not be possible using traditional building methods,” said Professor Jacobson. “Interior spaces and window lines can run up to 25 feet between columns.” The building’s “net zero ready” shell is designed to produce near zero waste and is 100% recyclable, earthquake-resistant , and impervious to mold and termite damage. The shell of a home can be assembled in just days using a battery-powered drill. Precut openings in the steel structure allow for easy installation of electrical, plumbing, heating, and ventilation systems. Precut insulation panels slot between the steel columns and the shell is further sealed with spray-on polyurethane foam insulation. The net-zero home is powered entirely with electricity and includes Tesla Powerwall energy storage, the Tesla Wall Connector auto charger, a 15kW solar system, and the Nest Learning Thermostat . Related: BONE Structure breaks ground on first net-zero residential project in California BONE Structure has plans to scale up to produce 1,000 residences per year. The net zero energy-ready homebuilder expects to complete 50 more homes in California in 2016. + BONE Structure Images via BONE Structure

Comments Off on New City of Wine museum in Bordeaux looks like wine swirling in a glass

The shape of La Cité du Vin references wine in a variety of ways; it could be interpreted to mimic gnarled vine stock or wine swirling in a glass. Its round volumes are clad in silk-screen printed glass panels and perforated, lacquered aluminum panels that change appearance depending on the time of day. Related: Italy’s Green-Roofed Antinori Winery is Topped With a Vineyard! Two entrances on opposite sides of the building facilitate and accentuate movement and flow, leading visitors to the highest point of the structure-an observation tower offering expansive views of the city. The ground floor features numerous mirrored surfaces that encourage visitors to move up towards the light, just like a vine plant grows upwards towards the sun. Wooden structural elements visible in the interior are reminiscient of boats, wine, and its travels. + XTU Architects Via World Architecture News Photos by XTU Architects

When the going gets tough, there is often a lot of talk about hell freezing over. In reality, it’s the opposite we have to worry about. Temperatures at the North Pole this week are 50 degrees higher than usual for December. Let that sink in for a moment; that’s 50 as in five-zero. That’s pretty disconcerting on its own, but things get hairier when you learn that the temperature actually rose above freezing, at the North Pole, in winter. All global warming naysayers can now step directly off. Read the rest of Storm ‘unfreezes’ North Pole, causing temps 50 degrees higher than normal

Bike parks are growing in popularity, but what’s a cyclist to do when the rain comes? Move underground! The Louisville Mega Cavern is a 320,000 square foot underground bike park with over 45 different trails, a jump line, pump tracks, dual slalom, BMX, cross country and single track. If you know what all of that means, you will definitely want to check this place out. Click here to view the embedded video. Built in a limestone cavern 100 feet (10 stories) underground , the caverns are not only a bike-rider’s paradise, but the temperature remains a constant 60 degrees, so even the hottest Kentucky day is a piece of cake for bike riders. This rad bike park is not all the caverns have to offer. If you’re in the neighborhood, you can also check out the Mega Cavern’s zip line, ropes challenge course, tram and other events like their mega Christmas lights display. Via GearJunkie Images via Louisville Mega Caverns Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: bike park underground , kentucky limestone caverns , limestone caverns bike park , limestone caverns underground bike park , louisville bike park , louisville caverns , underground bike park

Comments Off on 13 million tons of plastic dumped into the ocean in 2010, study finds

Hopefully, we can all agree that the ocean is no place for trash. Unfortunately, a massive new study by researchers from Australia and the U.S. has determined that we are throwing far more plastic waste into the oceans than previously thought. In 2010 alone, between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic made its way into the Earth’s waters, and if we look at the modest middle figure—8 million tonnes—that amounts to “five plastic grocery bags filled with plastic for every foot of coastline in the world.” Read the rest of 13 million tons of plastic dumped into the ocean in 2010, study finds Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: environmental destruction , five gyres , marine life , ocean health , Ocean Plastic , plastic debris , plastic gyre , Pollution , recycling , water issues